Walk By Faith
by Parhelion the Wanderer
Summary: Revived! April 15th: An unexpected encounter with the locals leaves the caravan without a guide, and it's up to Celestine, Xalia, and Xanos to find him before it's too late!
1. Prologue: The Courier's Message

**Walk By Faith**

A 'Shadows of Undrentide' fan-fiction, by Parhelion the Wanderer

This story began more than a year ago, and I have been plagued by writer's block for a vast majority of that time. The prologue and the first chapter were originally posted on under my other pseudonym Lady Dioptase (later changed to Parhelion the Wanderer). With another few chapters in the works and a couple already completed, I was able to bring this defunct story back to life. :)

The two main characters are the two PCs that I used in the first two times that I played through the SoU campaign. It is told mostly in the perspective of the second character, a halfling cleric named Celestine, who I started at the Interlude (hence the odd introduction).

The genre of this story is a mix of practically everything. Comedy, tragedy, action-adventure, and everything in between, with a bit of romance for added flavor.

Disclaimer: Celestine Oakbridge and Xalia St. Genevieve are my brainchildren (I doubt anyone else would wish to claim them :P). All other characters and places belong to Bioware and Wizards of the Coast, among others. I only borrow them for fun, and (usually) return them unscathed. :)

**Prologue: The Courier's Message**

Celestine's recall stone glowed a faint blue as she held it up for Arvoreen to bless. Protect our journey, dear mistress, she silently prayed. A pulse of energy flowed through her body as she grasped her companion's hand in a ritual that they were all too familiar with now. The dinginess of the ogre's lair shimmered out of view, quickly replaced by the familiar walls and friendlier atmosphere of the Temple of Tyr. Celestine quickly replaced her recall stone in her backpack, breathing a sigh of relief. Normally she wouldn't rely on such measures to escape from the dangers she faced, but the circumstances were far different than normal. During their raid of the humanoid caves north of town they had discovered not one, but three prisoners. Two of them had been able to escape on their own, needing only Celestine's healing prowess and Tomi's lockpicks to realize their freedom. The third one was a different story. The ogre Dergiab had kept her bound and gagged in a storage room behind his lair, and by the time Tomi found the unfortunate woman Celestine was all but exhausted and unable to use even the simplest of healing spells. Carrying the unconscious prisoner was not an option either, given the fact that both Celestine and her companion were quite unable to lift a full grown human even under the best of circumstances.

It was the only time that Celestine ever regretted being born a halfling.

"Celestine, dear, what happened," came a familiar voice belonging to one Linu La'neral. The elven priestess approached the pair of halflings and their human charge with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Prisoner from the northern caves," Celestine began, her weary voice betraying her exhaustion. "I am spent and cannot heal her, and we most certainly were unable to carry her."

"Fear not my friend, I can aid her. You go now and have some rest." Linu replied with a smile. Satisfied, Celestine allowed herself to relax. As she and Tomi moved toward the door, however, something caught her eye. In her concern for the former prisoner she had failed to notice that the temple was far busier than usual, and the high priest was nowhere in sight. A knot of people had gathered around one area of the temple, their attention fixed on some unseen object in the center. Curious, the young cleric left Tomi's side and made her way over to the group, weaving her way through the other onlookers with relative ease until she finally caught sight of what was so captivating.

A faerie dragon lay asleep on the temple floor.

"Everyone please stand back! Give the poor thing some breathing room!" Neurik's voice called out. Grudgingly the crowd began to disperse with the exception of Neurik, Celestine, and a pair of gnomes. The high priest glanced over at Celestine. "You too, Lady Oakbridge. I apologize that I couldn't help you a moment ago, but as you can tell, I have been a bit preoccupied."

"What. . .where did this dragon come from?" Celestine asked.

"That, my friend, is something we do not know," came Neurik's response. "The creature flew into Port Llast a few hours ago, landed, and promptly collapsed to the ground, or so witnesses say. Aarin has ordered that this dragon should remain under constant surveillance until he can determine where it came from." He indicated the gnomes keeping watch nearby. Celestine recognized one of them as a sorcerer whom she had met briefly in Neverwinter, a peculiar man named Boddyknock. "We have discerned that it must be carrying a message of some sort, but as of yet no one has been able to open the container, not even with spells. Whomever sent this dragon has a powerful grasp of the arcane."

"The runes are dwarvish, nearest I can tell," Boddyknock stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "The pouch is quite literally covered with them, and I cannot for the life of me discern the meaning. Nor can I break the spell. . .quite a discouraging turn of events, I must say."

Celestine started a bit at the gnome's statement. A pouch sealed with dwarven runes, obviously by a mage of great power. Very few dwarves dedicated their lives to the pursuit of the arcane, and fewer still were powerful enough to create such a strong spell. How many dwarven mages had a faerie dragon as a familiar? She didn't know for sure, but there couldn't be too many of them out there. The evidence was beginning to stack up; Celestine knew of only one wizard in the North that could fit that description. _But there is no way of knowing for certain, unless. . ._

"Is there an 'S'-shaped scorch mark on the tip of the dragon's tail?" She spoke out loud.

"Why yes," Neurik replied. The high priest cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. "How did you know that?"

Celestine smiled. She never dreamed that accidentally singeing her former master's dragon would ever be an asset, but now that very mark identified the creature beyond any reasonable doubt.

"I know this dragon, as well as the mage that sent her," she spoke with confidence. "Her name is Riisi, and she is bonded to a dwarven wizard known as Drogan Droganson."

**End Prologue**

_Thanks for reading:)_


	2. Chapter 1: The Power of Written Words

Disclaimer: Celestine and Xalia belong to me. All other characters and places belong to WotC and Bioware. Thanks!

**Chapter 1 – The Power of Written Words**

Surely enough, Celestine's words proved to be true. It was indeed Riisi, and as it turned out it was Celestine for whom she had come. The rune-covered pouch opened easily enough once the dragon finally awakened and spoke the command words; inside was a small scroll and a coppery ring, both of which Riisi handed to the young cleric. "Master sent Riisi to give these to you, so now you must take them, yes, you must," the dragon wearily spoke before returning to her slumber.

Celestine quietly thanked the creature before retreating back to the inn, where she found her companion busily scarfing down a plate of mashed potatoes and turkey between gulps of ale. She silently sat down beside him and set the ring on the table.

"Now that's a pretty thing, no mistake," Tomi spoke.

"You're not touching that ring."

"Who said I was talking about the ring?" He replied with a wink.

"Flirt." Celestine chuckled as she opened the scroll. Her mirth was short lived, however, as she read the haunting words written in her former teacher's familiar script.

_Dear Celestine,_

_No doubt you have already discerned the gravity of the matter of which I am about to address. You know that I am loath to send my dear Riisi on such a long and potentially treacherous journey without proper cause. Be certain that the matter I discuss is of considerable importance to the Guild and should be regarded with the utmost discretion._

_In the interest of brevity I shall only say that a series of events culminating in the theft and subsequent recovery of the four artifacts has threatened the lives of my students and myself, as well as everyone living in and around Hilltop. One of the artifacts entrusted to my care has turned out to be far more powerful than we initially determined. The Tower Statue was itself only a container for a much more powerful item, a crystal with such power that I cannot even begin to ascertain its true nature._

_Determining the truth behind this turn of events has been quite the daunting task. Ayala Windspear has pledged her aid in determining the driving force behind the attack on Hilltop. I have entrusted the crystal to Xalia St. Genevieve (whom you no doubt remember from your own apprenticeship), and she and my two eldest apprentices have joined a caravan heading to the Anauroch desert. My hope is that, once they arrive, they will meet with a man who should be able to determine the crystal's origin._

_The mere fact that I have been forced to send my students on a potentially deadly assignment is particularly disconcerting. Thus far all three of them have proven to be quite capable, but I fear that the worst is yet to come. It is on their behalf that I request your assistance._

_Enclosed in the bottommost chamber in the pouch is a ring, much like the one you wore as my apprentice, but far more powerful. This ring is magically linked to an amulet that Xalia wears, and once activated the ring will teleport you to her location. You are, of course, under no obligation to respond. However, my friend, your assistance would be very much appreciated, and if I am correct, your presence might just mean the difference between defeat and victory._

_Best regards,_

_Drogan Droganson_

_Archmage of Hilltop_

Celestine finished reading the letter, stunned by the sheer gravity of Drogan's words. Any force powerful enough to threaten Master Drogan was indeed a force to contend with. More than anything, however, this was a Harper matter; as an initiate into the Guild she had sworn an oath to protect the cause of good, and that included coming to the aid of other Guild members if the situation presented itself. If Drogan's compelling words were not enough to convince her to lend her aid, the Harper's Oath was. Celestine knew what she had to do.

"I must leave," Celestine softly spoke.

"Wha-aaat!" Tomi, who had been busily munching on a turkey leg, suddenly stopped mid chew and looked at the cleric. "You're kiddin', right?"

"I'm afraid not."

Tomi swallowed his bite of turkey. "But what about this Cult thing? Miss Aribeth needs you here, doesn't she?"

"She has more than enough help," Celestine mused. Most of Aribeth's hopes for rooting out the cult were placed on the two survivors from Neverwinter Academy, a pair of half-elves named Hadrian and Lexi. The brother and sister team had already done a lot for Neverwinter, having successfully spearheaded the mission to recover the plague cure. It was no surprise that Lord Nasher had placed them among those he sent to Port Llast. To be honest, Celestine felt like a third wheel half of the time anyway. The big folk had little regard for halflings, it seemed, and she had gotten the cold shoulder more often than not. "Lexi and Hadrian have Daelan and Sharwyn to help them. There are so many mercenaries that you can't walk from the inn to the temple without running into at least one of them. I'm not really needed here."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Tomi looked genuinely hurt. "What am I supposed to do once ya leave? Boddyknock's no fun at all, Linu hates me guts, and I sure ain't going to travel with that death-obsessed dwarf. That Gend fellow's got his eye on me, y'know. Doesn't trust me none, but when I'm with you he's a bit less nosey, if ya get my meaning."

"And the fact that I'm the only female halfling in Port Llast has nothing to do with your protests?"

"Yeah, well, that too…." Tomi's voice trailed off. "Look, I'm bein' serious. We make a killer team, you and me. It'd be a shame to split apart now! Think of all the fun you'll miss!"

"Tomi, please," Celestine spoke in almost a pleading tone. "This is difficult enough already, all right? I don't want to have to pick up and leave like this, but this is a matter I absolutely must tend to. The wizard who sent this it my former teacher and one of my dearest friends. I can't just ignore the summons. As much as I wish to continue my work for Neverwinter, and as much as I wish to remain by your side, I…I have to go, Tomi."

Silence.

"I ain't gonna see you again, am I?"

Celestine bowed her head. "I do not know." She fingered the ring; it, like the pouch it was previously housed in, was covered with runes. This ring was Celestine's portal into a new destiny--a destiny that left Neverwinter behind. A destiny that left Tomi behind. Over the past month or so the two of them had become close companions, reaching the point that, despite Tomi's less-than-perfect track record, Celestine trusted him with her very life. Perhaps there was something more than friendship between them. Celestine didn't know, and now, it seemed, she would never have the chance to find out.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Journal of Celestine Alyssum Sweetwater Oakbridge 

_Day 746 in Arvoreen's Service_

_I have said my good-byes and wished my dear friends well. They have a long road ahead of them, a road that I shall no longer share. My destiny lies not with the servants of Neverwinter, but in the Anauroch Desert with fellow students of my former master. I must remain faithful to my patroness' calling wherever it shall lead, and I know in my heart that this is where I must go. Where this path will eventually lead me I know not, what challenges lie ahead I know not, but no matter the circumstances I must remain true to my faith and my Guild. _

_I shall spend one final night here in Port Llast among my friends and leave upon the morning's light. Riisi, I am told, is recovering well and should be able to make the return trip to Hilltop within a few days. I can only hope that she finds Master Drogan well. Arvoreen willing, I will find Xalia and the others well. I remember her only vaguely from my apprenticeship. She came to Drogan mere months before I left to follow my calling, so I know very little about her. But if Drogan has placed his faith in her, then I must place my faith in her as well._

Celestine looked carefully around her room, checking and double-checking to make sure that she wasn't forgetting anything. Her eyes came upon a small object sitting next to the candelabra on her desk. _Strange…I've never seen this before,_ she thought. Curious, the young cleric made her way over to the desk and discovered that the object was really two objects--a rolled up piece of parchment and a silver ring. Celestine pulled the paper out of the ring and unrolled it, revealing a hastily written message inside.

_Hey Cel,_

_Just a small token to remember me by. Not like you'd ever forget someone like me, right?_

_Take care of yourself out there._

_Tomi_

Tears welled up in Celestine's eyes as she slipped the ring on her finger. The band was made of mithral, no doubt, and she was pretty sure that the stone was a lapis lazuli. She didn't know where Tomi had gotten it (and with his reputation she was certain that she didn't _want_ to know), but it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

Tomi had just made leaving that much more difficult.

_I can't do this…_

_**Yes, you can.**_

_But what about him?_

_**What about your duty? Would you abandon your calling for one man?**_

_I…I can't decide._

_**You must. Will you let Drogan down? Will you let Xalia and the others face a future where they might lose their lives? Can you bear that guilt?**_

_No._

Steeling her resolve, Celestine placed her backpack on her back and retrieved Drogan's ring from a pocket. She took a deep breath and placed the ring on her thumb.

_There is no going back now,_ she thought as the inn dissolved before her eyes.

**End Chapter 1 **

_Authoer's Note: Finally, on to the meat of the story! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. :)_


	3. Chapter 2: Please Don't Kill the Kobold

At long last, an update. :) I hope you enjoy, and as always, comments and constructive criticisms are welcome. :)

Disclaimer: Celestine and Xalia are mine. All other places and characters belong to WotC and Bioware.

**Chapter 2: Please Don't Kill The Kobold**

Celestine wasn't exactly sure what she expected to see when she reached the caravan, but it was most certainly not _this_.

"Aaahh! No hurts Deekin! Please, Deekin is sorry," came a frightened voice from behind a pair of wooden barrels. Whomever the voice belonged to had every right to be scared out of his mind. Mere feet away stood the imposing form of a very large half-orc, and from the looks of it, he was angry enough to kill. Luckily for the mystery voice, however, this particular half-orc was being held back by two equally irate women--one human and one dwarf. The dwarf had both arms wrapped around one of his legs, while the human had his upper body grappled and was holding on with every ounce of her strength. From the looks of it the enraged half-orc was none too thrilled about this arrangement; various heavily-accented insults poured out of his mouth in a nearly unintelligible stream. What few words Celestine could make out made her toes curl in disgust.

"Um, good morning?"

No one seemed to hear her.

"He apologized! Leave him be, ya big lug," grated the dwarf.

"Let go of Xanos, wench!"

"Not until you calm down," The human added as she tightened her grip on the half-orc's arms. _Is that Xalia? _Celestine looked at the woman carefully. Xalia certainly looked a lot different than Celestine had remembered her. When the young woman had come to Drogan's tutelage she was about twenty years of age, timid, far too thin, and extremely weak. Celestine's own training kept her constantly busy, so she never had the chance to talk to Xalia much during the few months they spent living under the same roof. Five years later, it was more than clear that Drogan's training had done the human a world of good. If the fact that she was successfully holding a half-orc at bay was any indication, that is. . .

"Killing the kobold is not going to solve anything!" Xalia yelled.

_Kobold?_

"Yes it will," Xanos insisted, "it will save Xanos from having to endure his cooking! Now let me go!"

Celestine's eyes widened. _A kobold cook?_ This 'Deekin' creature behind the barrel was a kobold? Celestine quickly and quietly circled around the camp to where she could get a clear view behind the barrel. The scaly features and reptilian snout confirmed it; Deekin was indeed a kobold, and Celestine was more confused than ever. Why was this caravan harboring a kobold? Celestine had had the displeasure of tangling with kobolds before and had found them to be little more than savages bent on wreaking havoc. Yet this one didn't look savage at all; she couldn't quite place it yet, but there was something about Deekin's very countenance that seemed to set him apart from others of his race. His eyes were bright and alert, hinting that this particular kobold was more intelligent than most.

Suddenly those eyes darted in Celestine's direction.

"Aaah! Who is you!"

_Now_ they noticed her.

Before Celestine knew it she was surrounded by eight halflings, two humans, a half-orc, and a dwarf. Somewhere in the confusion the kobold had disappeared, but that was the least of Celestine's concerns at the moment. Twelve weapons were now pointed in her direction, and she didn't dare to move for fear that someone would strike first before asking questions. After a few moments of intense standoff, one of the halflings stepped forward--a woman--with an air of authority that set her apart as the obvious leader of the group. Her gaze was intense and her expression stone-cold as she approached with twin daggers drawn. Suddenly the woman stopped, her eyes widening in sudden recognition as she dropped her daggers to the ground.

"Sister, please forgive me. I did not know who you were," the woman spoke, bowing her head in a show of reverence. She turned to her companions. "Lower your weapons! Can you not see the mark of the Halfling-Mother upon her? She means no harm!" Immediately all seven of the other halflings either dropped or sheathed their weapons. The other four were a little more reluctant to comply, but soon enough they too had disarmed themselves. Celestine breathed a sigh of relief; the standoff was over and no harm was done. "I am Katriana, leader of this caravan. You are welcome here, sister."

"A halfling stranger you trust easily, yet you still eye Xanos with a hawk's gaze," Xanos grumbled, folding his massive arms across his chest.

"I would sooner trust a fellow halfling than a belligerent ass like yourself," Katriana flatly replied. "We halflings have nothing to fear from a holy woman of Arvoreen."

"Fools, you do not even know why she is here!" Xanos practically shouted; he glared down at Celestine. "So?"

"I am Celestine Oakbridge, former student of Drogan Droganson. He summoned me here," Celestine replied. She saw Xanos' eyes widen.

"I thought you looked familiar," Xalia spoke up with a grin. "Good to see you again."

"_You_ are the Celestine that Master Drogan was talking about?" Xanos' voice had a hint of incredulity to it. "A little halfling girl? This is ridiculous!" By now Celestine's patience was beginning to wear thin. _So this Xanos is one of Drogan's students? How could he take this. . .this obnoxious **thing **into his instruction?_ "This is the one whom is supposed to protect us? Ha! We shall see who does the protecting, tiny little Celestine."

"Watch yourself, Xanos," chuckled Xalia. "Never get on a healer's bad side, else you wind up in a lot of pain."

"It is difficult to have confidence in a healer whom can be easily squished."

"If Master Drogan sent her here, she must be more than capable."

"Not necessarily," Xanos jibed. "He sent _you_ here, did he not?"

"And he sent you here too, you narcissistic oaf!"

"Misplaced tavern wench!"

Celestine watched the exchange turn into a full-blown argument and stepped forward to put an end to it. Before she could say anything, however, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The dwarf stood behind her, shaking her head.

"They do this constantly. Just let 'em be." The dwarf ushered Celestine away from the ensuing fray and to the nearby campfire, where a boiling pot of coffee awaited them. "Name's Dorna, by the way. One of Master Drogan's students." Celestine nodded in acknowledgement, still concerned about the argument.

What ever possessed Drogan to take such a violent man into his instruction? 

"He's harmless. . .mostly," Dorna stated, almost as if replying to the cleric's thoughts. "All bark and no bite. Unless you embarrass him, then you'd better watch out."

"I take it that's what happened this morning?" Celestine asked. Dorna's mouth contorted into a twisted grin and she shook her head at the sheer absurdity of the whole situation.

"Yeah, that's what happened. Deekin, as you may have already figured out, is our cook--"

"A mistake that I already regret," Katriana interjected.

". . .yeah, so do most of us. Kobold cuisine is. . .er. . ._different_ from what most normal people consider palatable," Dorna continued. "He uses ingredients that are too disgusting to mention, and his stew tastes like it came out of the back end of a goblin. You'll find out soon enough."

Celestine cringed at the imagery. And she thought that Tomi's cooking was bad…

"So this. . .somehow embarrassed Xanos?"

"Not Deekin's cooking, per se," the dwarf replied, "but what happened to Xanos after eating it." Again Celestine cringed. "And of course, Xalia being Xalia, she just had to point out how many of us bore witness to his. . .er. . .problem. Couldn't have made him any madder if she'd flat out laughed at him." Dorna chuckled slightly.

"Ah."

"At least Xanos has arcane abilities at his disposal!" Xanos shouted.

"At least I know how to wield a sword without nearly killing myself," came Xalia's retort.

"By all that is. . ." Katriana grumbled. "Shut up, both of you! You want every stinger for miles to know where we are!"

"You stay out of this!" Xanos and Xalia yelled in perfect unison.

"Here, sit down and have a bit of coffee," One of the other halflings invited with a smile. "We've still got about another half-hour to kill before we head out on the trail again. Zidan--that's our Bedine guide--always wants to scout things out first, and he just left." With a silent nod Celestine removed the pack from her back and extracted a small tin mug, which the young man immediately filled with steaming coffee. It wasn't quite as good as what Sharwyn would make, but it was at least palatable, and Celestine figured that she could use the extra energy boost. It was bound to be a long day.

"So, I gather that you know what's going on?" Dorna asked.

"Drogan's letter explained a lot," Celestine replied between sips. "Where is this crystal now?"

"Xalia's got it," the dwarf grunted. "Won't let either Xanos or me touch the thing, an' no amount of convincing will make her change her mind. . ."

"Nothing will make me change my mind," interjected Xalia as she approached the campfire. The argument appeared to be over, and Xanos was nowhere to be found. "And unless something happens to me, that's exactly where the crystal will stay. I don't care _what_ Dorna says."

"Look, all I'm sayin' is that you're always on the front lines. There's a better chance that this thing will break if someone strikes ya' down!" The dwarf defended herself. "Besides, I'm shorter and sneakier than ya. I can get past a thief easier than you can with that loud chainmail of yers."

"Well. . .if Drogan entrusted it to Xalia, he must have had a good reason for it," offered Celestine. "Would you mind if I had a look?" Xalia pursed her lips together for a moment in contemplation.

"Certainly. . .only, not out here." The human gazed warily at one of the halflings sitting around the campfire--a young man with dark hair and a tin cup in one hand. Celestine knew the type just by appearance; so many of her kind were prone to thievery, a path that Celestine had only barely avoided herself. He reminded her somewhat of Tomi, except this young man looked a little. . .shadier. "I wouldn't wish to tempt Torias again." At this Celestine heard Katriana snort with laughter.

"They're onto you, cousin."

"I resent that accusation. I was merely looking at it," came Torias's rebuttal. "There is nothing wrong with that!"

"That's not what the bloody orc thought," another halfling spoke up. His twin, or at least, a man who looked like his twin, mumbled something unintelligible to Celestine's ears in response. "Watch your language, brother. We're in the company of a holy woman now, you know." More mumbling. "Just be glad that she didn't hear _that_. I don't like him either, but--"

"Regardless," Xalia interrupted, rolling her eyes. "It is best that the crystal not be in a position to attract unwanted attention." The human motioned toward one of the wagons. "My quarters. Let's go."

Celestine obediently nodded. She quickly finished what remained of the liquid in her cup and stood to follow the human.

OoOoOoOoO 

Beautiful could hardly describe the jewel that now lay in Celestine's hands. Everything about the crystal seemed otherworldly, from the faint blue glow emanating from deep within to the more than seventy perfect facets that cut its almost opalescent surface. Whomever or whatever had created this crystal imbued it with a great power, that much was evident. Beyond that, however, Celestine could not even begin to discern its true nature.

"Incredible…" Celestine breathed. "The sheer power of this…I have never felt its equal."

"Neither has Drogan," replied Xalia. "Until Deekin broke the statue, none of us even knew that this crystal existed. The crystal is ancient, that much we know."

"Netherese?"

"Most likely," Xalia sighed," which is why we are heading to the Anauroch. This Garrick-something-or-other fellow will know--at least we hope he'll know. Otherwise, this whole journey will come to nothing." Celestine could sense a bit of frustration in the human's words.

"Whomever or whatever is looking for this crystal knows of its power and will obviously take any measure to obtain it," Celestine offered. "That alone justifies the journey no matter the outcome." She handed the crystal back to Xalia, who immediately placed it back in its rune-protected pouch. "If it is indeed Netherese, this person could be even more dangerous than Drogan anticipated."

"All the more reason why he should have come," Xalia grunted. "Any creature able to bring Drogan to his knees could kill the lot of us without a second thought. And if the crystal were to somehow fall into its hands…" Her voice trailed off. Celestine opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden commotion outside the wagon caught her attention as well as Xalia's. She heard a strange hissing sound and the shuffling of many feet, then the harsh clang of metal against metal. A sudden familiar nervousness settled upon the cleric; those were the unmistakable sounds of battle.

"_We're under attack!"_

**End Chapter 2**


	4. Chapter 3: Creepy Crawlies

Disclaimer: Celestine and Xalia are mine, everything else belongs to WotC and/or Bioware. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy. :D

**Chapter 3: A Bad Case of the Creepy Crawlies**

The camp was in utter chaos.

Celestine had no idea at the time what it was that was attacking them, but they were as menacing and frightening as anything the cleric had ever seen. They almost looked like scorpions, but no scorpion she had ever encountered had a human torso and arms. By the time she had entered the scene there were already a half-dozen of the wretched creatures lying either gravely wounded or dead on the desert floor. There were, however, at least sixteen other attackers yet to contend with--each of them very much alive--and none of them were about to go down without a fight.

From the moment Celestine snatched her mace the battle went like a blur. She remembered being attacked by two creatures at once, which was a little bit more than she could handle by herself. Fortunately Deekin was nearby to lend his aid; Celestine was not all that comfortable working so closely with a kobold, but considering the alternative of fighting alone she wasn't about to complain. Between the two of them they fended their attackers off fairly quickly, and to her relief neither of them had taken a single scratch. No sooner had they finished they found a third scorpion-creature advancing upon them. This time, the victory belonged to Celestine alone. With a bit of divine assistance in the form of a spell the cleric made quick work of the monster, eliciting an unexpected round of applause from her kobold companion before he scampered off.

At that point Celestine surveyed the camp as a whole, ready to assist whomever needed her help. She remembered seeing Xalia fighting against a pair of archers; her rapid-fire attacks with her twin rapiers made quick work of one of them, but before she could finish off the second another attacked from the side, tripping her with its sword and sending the blademaiden crashing to the ground. Before Celestine could even take a step a trio of magic missiles came careening out of nowhere, slamming into the second attacker and knocking it to the ground. The cleric turned around in time to see Xanos incanting a second spell to mimic the first. More magic missiles slammed into the second creature, killing it instantly and giving Xalia the chance to finish off the other one.

Xalia's final strike destroyed the last of the attacking creatures. A sense of relief washed over the camp, and the halflings began surveying the damage. Grateful that it was finally over, Celestine holstered her mace and said a quick prayer of thanks.

"Just what in blue blazes _were _those things?" Xalia breathlessly asked from her position on the ground. She hadn't yet made an attempt to stand, which worried Celestine slightly.

"Stingers," Torias tersely replied. "They're as irritating as a bad case of hives and much harder to scratch. I'm frankly surprised that we haven't seen more of 'em."

"I would have preferred never to have seen them. . ." Xalia's voice trailed off as Xanos approached her. Something about the way the blademaiden looked at him struck Celestine as strange, but she couldn't place why.

"Lucky that you have Xanos to watch your back," the half-orc stated matter-of-factly. He held out his hand for Xalia and helped her to her feet. "Next time pay attention to your flank instead of foolishly leaving yourself unguarded, yes?" Briefly Xalia looked offended and ready to lash back at the half-orc, which undoubtedly would have started another argument. For some unknown reason, however, the human only shook her head. He was right, and she knew it.

"I suppose so. . ." Xalia sighed. The blademaiden straightened out her hauberk and shook the sand out of her hair. She did not appear injured physically, though Celestine was sure that her pride had taken a bit of a blow. There was an awkward silence between the two of them for a few moments. "Well, you did just save my hide. . .perhaps I should thank you," the blademaiden finally confessed.

"It would be appropriate."

Celestine rolled her eyes. Why did the half-orc have to be so self-serving?

"Where in the nine Hells did he go!" Katriana's sudden shout startled the cleric out of her train of thought.

"Who?"

"Zidan! Have any of you seen him?"

"I thought he left to scout things out," Dorna chimed in.

"He came back! I saw him fighting the stingers!" By now Katriana was clearly in panic mode. "We've got to find him, or we're as good as dead out here."

"Perhaps you should have hired a guide who is not so easily scared off, " came Xanos's pointed reply. Katriana glared at him.

"I won't even dignify that with a response," she growled. "Anyway, we need to find Zidan. Any volunteers?"

"I'll go," Xalia immediately spoke up. "He could be in serious danger if he's facing those stingers by himself."

"Good point," Celestine replied. "I shall go with you."

"You will need Xanos's skills if you plan to succeed. The faster we find the idiot guide, the faster we can leave," the sorcerer pointed out.

"And if I told you to stay?" Xalia quipped. The mischievous grin on the blademaiden's face was unmistakable, as was the glare that Xanos shot her in response.

"It would be preferable to go with you than to sit around here doing nothing!" The expression on his face was one of distaste as he surveyed the camp. "These squishable halflings grow ever more annoying…"

"Take him with you!" Katriana and Torias shouted at the same time.

Celestine couldn't help but chuckle.

OoOoOoOoO

They found the entrance to the stingers' caves without too much of a problem, but the hole that they had to navigate to get inside was a good twelve feet deep and far too steep of a descent for Celestine to have made it on her own. Fortunately, she had two tall folk to help her out. Xanos made the trip first, sliding only a couple of times before he made it to the bottom. Celestine's turn was next, and she was more than a little bit nervous. After a bit of reassurance from Xalia, though, she allowed the blademaiden to grab her by the arms and lower her far enough to where Xanos could catch her. The maneuver surprisingly went off without a hitch despite Celestine's initial misgivings. Two down, one to go.

Xalia began her descent slowly and carefully, but about halfway down the slope the back of her hauberk snagged on a piece of jutting rock. While freeing herself wasn't much of an issue, keeping her balance _was_, and in the end she wound up tumbling the rest of the way down. . .

. . .and plowing right into Xanos.

When the dust had settled the sorcerer was flat on his back with Xalia sprawled on top of him, and both were simply covered in sand. This rather undignified position didn't look terribly comfortable for either party involved, and Celestine was afraid that one or both of them had gotten hurt from the impact.

"Get off…of Xanos!"

Xalia quickly scrambled off of her companion and stood up, seemingly no worse for the wear. She reached down and took Xanos by the hand to help him up.

"Are you all right?" She asked once he was standing again.

"Yes, no thanks to your clumsiness," the sorcerer grumbled as he straightened out his sand-coated robe. "Perhaps it is fortunate that it was Xanos in the way and not little Celestine. You would have squashed her flat."

The cleric scowled. Her patience with Xanos was starting to wear thin. She had only known the man for less than two hours, and already she was growing tired of dealing with him. _How does Xalia stand it without slugging the living daylights out of him? Patience, Celestine. You must have patience. Maybe he isn't always like this. Perhaps he is just having a bad day. . .? Yes, that must be it._

No harm was done, at least, and soon enough the intrepid trio began their trek into the stingers' domain. The place was eerily quiet, save the sound of their footsteps and the occasional conversation between Xalia and Xanos--most of which involved the half-orc complaining about one thing or another. Celestine tried to ignore him, which was far easier said than done. _Like trying to ignore a screeching cat, _the cleric thought. As she listened in on their conversation it became evident that neither of them were terribly thrilled to be here. Xanos was, of course, more adamant about his displeasure, but Celestine could sense trepidation in Xalia's words as well. In a way she couldn't blame them; they had both risked their lives to recover the stolen artifacts, and now Drogan had all but ordered them to risk their lives again.

Her situation was slightly different than theirs. She was a Harper, and this was, as Xanos pointed out, a Harper matter. Yet, Celestine couldn't help but think of what she had just left behind in Port Llast. Absently she stole a glance at the lapis and mithral ring on her right hand. Less than a day had passed since last she saw Tomi, and already she missed him more than ever.

Celestine empathized with Xalia and Xanos's plight more than either of them could ever realize.

A change in their surroundings turned Celestine's attention away from the conversation at hand. The small rough-hewn tunnel that they had dropped into a little while ago suddenly became much larger and arrow-straight. Clearly they were not dealing with mindless monsters; the stingers had engineered these tunnels with great precision--and likely guarded them with their lives. They were in the stingers' territory now. Celestine brushed one hand over her mace, mentally preparing herself for what was sure to come.

The main artery that they traveled through branched off into several lesser paths, leading to peculiar notched chambers (sleeping quarters, as they discovered) and a few larger atria. As Celestine suspected the stingers protected these rooms with vigor, but their numbers were few and easily defeated. The cleric had a few brief opportunities to watch her companions in battle, and what she saw astonished her. While she knew that Drogan had taught them well, the way that they fought as a team was something that could only come from experience. Xanos knew Xalia's tactics as well as she knew his, and they played off of each other amazingly well. Celestine also sensed a certain measure of trust between them; they had been through quite a lot together, that much was certain.

The trio continued to follow the main tunnel for quite a long way until it unexpectedly opened into a large chamber. From outward appearances it was a simple, innocuous, empty room--far larger than anything else that they had yet encountered in the stingers' tunnels. Celestine grew instantly suspicious; something was seriously wrong here.

"This could be another trap," the cleric spoke up. "There is much evil at work here, though I cannot place it."

"I feel it too," answered Xalia. "Regardless, there appears to be no other way around. Trap or no, this may be the only way out." She looked over at Xanos. "Do you see anything?"

The half-orc scanned their surroundings for a few moments before replying. "There is an open door on the other side, and there might be another door…it is difficult for Xanos to see clearly," he informed them. "Other than the fact that there is a dead deer laying on the ground, there is nothing else of consequence."

"One of those doors must be the correct path," Xalia concluded. "It looks like we have no choice but to cross."

No sooner had she finished speaking that the door behind them slammed shut.

**End Chapter 3**

_Cliffhanger! My apologies for that...but otherwise this chapter was going to be really blasted long. Hope you enjoyed, and as always comments and constructive criticisms are welcome. :)_


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